Road tool



April 25, 1939. J G u s 2,155,571

ROAD TOOL Filed Feb. 13, 1937 l ml I Mil I llllllA IEIIlIlllIllII/IIIIlllllllllllllllln JASPER E TULL1S- I HVENT DH.

3y @ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Cleveland FormgraderCompany, Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 13, 1987, Serial No.125,538

3 Claims.

This invention relates to road tools and particularly to a float forstriking off and finishing the surface of concrete pavements and thelike.

I-Ieretofore floats of this general character have comprised a heavysheet metal channel disposed with the flanges upwardly, the web of thechannel providing the finishing surface. Upright handles were providedat the ends for operation of the float by the workmen, the generaloperation being for the workmen, one at each end, to

draw the float to and fro transversely of the pavement while moving itforwardly along the surface to be finished. By this operation excess wetconcrete was struck off and caused to tumble along in front of the floatfor filling depressions.

The necessities of openv road work subject such tools to very severeusage, as a result of which the channel comprising the float properbecomes distorted and bent, rounded at the leading or striking edge atthe juncture of the flange and base, and twisted and warped so that thesmooth finishing surface is distorted and untrue.

Since the channel used must necessarily have very large flange portionsto render it sufficiently rigid and to retain a suiflcient amount ofconcrete in front of the leading face, it is almost impossible tostraighten and repair any damage thus occasioned. Again, since thechannel is formed of a single piece of sheet metal, a rounded edge isnecessarily present at the juncture of the flange and web. The roundededge, striking when the tool is in operation, causes the tool to ride upover the excess concrete instead of striking off the excess concrete.This rounded striking edge becomes worn rapidly and after it has beensubjected to a certain degree of wear, the entire tool must bediscarded.

One of the principal objects of the present invention therefore is toprovide a more rigid and durable tool of this character having a sharpworking edge which is so arranged that it may be adjusted to compensatefor wear.

An equally important object is to provide a replaceable striking edge ona tool of this character.

Still another object is to provide a concrete float which is as rigidand durable as floats heretofore provided and which, at the same time,may readily be reformed or repaired in case of distortion and damage.

Another object is to provide a concrete float having a striking surfacewhich may be adjusted within certain limits of curvature so as to fit aslightly curved road surface.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingspecification wherein reference is made to the drawing in which Fig. 1is a perspective view of a concrete float embodying the principles ofthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the float taken on a planeindicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on a plane indicated bythe line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating theconnection between the striking edge and finishing surface of the float:

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the connection betweenthe handles of the float; l5 and Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectionalView of the float taken on a plane indicated by the line 68 in Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of theinvention is shown for purposes of illustration, the tool comprises arelatively heavy sheet metal channel, designated generally as I, andhaving at its lateral margins upturned flanges 2, the bottom face orunder surface of the web- 3 of the channel providing the finishingsurface of the tool. The flanges 2 are of considerably less height thanheretofore provided for such purposes and are less in height than wouldbe necessary to tumble the concrete along in front of the tool as it ismoved progressively along the roadway. Necessarily in forming sheetmetal in this manner, the outer edges formed at the junction of theflanges 2 and the under surface of the web 3 are rounded, as indicatedat 4, so that the channel would tend to lift and ride up over anyconcrete being tumbled along thereby.

In order to provide a sharp angular striking edge, rigid metal plates 5are connected to the flanges 2 and extend the full length of eachflange, the lower edges of such plates providing a sharp angular edgeexposed outwardly from the channel I. Ordinarily the plates 5 aredisposed with their lower edges in the plane of the 15, under surface ofthe web 3 and extend upwardly therefrom a suflicient distance to preventthe concrete, being moved along thereby, from passing over the top ontothe tool. The plates 5 and flanges 2 are connected together, as willlater be described, in a manner such that when installed an extremelyrigid channel structure is provided. At their upper margins the plates 5are secured together by suitable angles 3 connected thereto at spacedpoints along the plates 5;

by suitable bolts, the angles likewise being connected together asindicated at I at intermediate points along their length and formingbetween the plates 5 a reinforcing lacework or truss construction, thusrendering the entire structure extremely rigid and preventing it frombending and warping. Thus the tool in its entirety is extremely rigidand sharp striking edges are provided at both edges of the finishingsurface.

As explained in the objects, however, it sometimes becomes necessary toadjust the plates 5 or replace the same and also to straighten the webof the channel. Obviously this would be very diflicult, if not almostimpossible, were the flanges 2 sufliciently deep to provide thenecessary rigidity. Even with comparatively limited flanges, such asillustrated, straightening of the channel would be difficult. In orderto mount the plates 5 on the flanges 2 while permitting adjustment ofthe plates 5 and straightening of the web 3, each flange 2 is providedwith a plurality of longitudinally spaced bores or apertures 8, whichare preferably circular in form. Correspondingly, the juxtaposedportions of the plates 5 are provided with apertures 9, positioned forregistry with the apertures 8. The apertures 9, however, are elongatedlongitudinally of the 7 channel.

aligned apertures of the flanges 2 and plates 5 for securing the platesfirmly in juxtaposition with the flanges 2, the bolts receiving suitablenuts H I with interposed lock washers l2. Each flange 2 is also providedwith a series of upright slots or kerfs 13 which preferably extend atright angles to the plane of the web 3 and diametrically through theapertures 8, the slots l3 opening through the upper limits of theflanges and preferably extending entirely to the inner surface of theweb 3. If desired, the apertures 8 may be slightly elongated parallel tothe slots l3 or may be made slightly oversize. Consequently, if theangle becomes warped or bent, it is only neces sary to loosen the boltsill and bend the. web 3 to its original condition. If the web is bentover a large area it can be straightened and brought to a true surfacesubstantially in the same manner as a flat piece of metal as the slotsl3 may close or open a slight amount so that the flanges 2 do not resiststraightening of the web 3 nor tend to buckle during such straighteningprocess.

If the tool is to be used only with a flat and plane working surface,however, the apertures 8 may be substantially the same diameter as thebolts It] so that after the straightening is completed and the flangeportions brought to their original position, the bolts received throughthe apertures will render the flange portions 2 substantially as rigidas though they were unslotted. Again, if it is desired to warp theentire web along a gradual curve for a particular piece of work,

cured to the plates 5. It is often desirable to adjust the handlestoward and away from each other to accommodate different workmen and forthis purpose the handles are connected at their upper ends by suitableangles l1 having apertures 18 which may be brought into registry indifferent positions and which, when in registry, receive suitable boltsH! for clamping the angles ll firmly together. Thus the handles may bespread apart or drawn more closely together as desired. Asuitable brace20 is connected betwen the handles for affording additional rigidity.

In order to accommodate such adjustment, however, while one end of thebrace 29 is fixedly secured to one of the handles, the other end isadjustably secured to the other handle. This adjustment may be effectedby providing in one end of the brace a suitable elongated slot 2!through which is received a bolt 22 with a cooperating wing nut 23, thebolt 22 being fixedly mounted in one of the handles l5. Thus duringadjustment the wing nut 23 is loosened and, due to the slot 2!, thebrace 20 may accommodate itself to any particular adjustment of thehandles and then tightly secured in place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a road tool of the character described, a sheet metal channelhaving a web portion and lateral upturned flanges along the lateralmargins thereof, each of said flanges having a piurality of aperturestherethrough spaced longitudinally of the channel, slots extending fromthe upper ends of the flanges substantially to the upper face of saidweb portion and intersecting the apertures, face plates disposed injuxtaposition with the outer faces of said flanges and extendinglengthwise of the channel, said plates having apertures registering withthe apertures in, the flanges, and means received through the registeredapertures for clamping said plates to said flange, and said platesterminating at their lower edges substantially in the plane of thebottom face of the web member.

2. In a road tool of the character described, a sheet metal channelhaving a web portion and a lateral upturned flange along a lateralmargin thereof, said flange being kerfed to provide slots extending fromthe upper edge of the flange downwardly a predetermined distance,whereby the channel web may be flexed without interference of theflange, a face plate disposed in juxtaposition with the outer face ofsaid flange and extending therealong, means for clamping said plate tosaid flange with the plate terminating at its lower edge substantiallyin the plane of the web member.

3. In a road tool of the character described, an elongated sheet metalmember having a substan tially flat bottom portion and a lateralupturned flange thereon, said flange having slots extending from theupper edge of the flange downwardly and terminating close to the uppersurface of said bottom portion, whereby the bottom portion may be flexedwithout interference of the flange, a face plate disposed injuxtaposition with the outer face of said flange and extendingtherealong, means for clamping said plate to said flange inpredetermined flexed position of said bottom portion for constrainingthe bottom portion of said metal member in predetermined. flexedpositions.

JASPER G. TULLIS.

